Quick answer
Stop using the fixture and close its shutoff valve, or the main if there is none. Common sources are a toilet supply line or wax ring, a cracked shower pan, failed grout or caulk, and drain connections. A plumber fixes the source. A restoration company dries the subfloor, walls, and any ceiling below.
Where do shower and toilet leaks come from?
- Toilet supply line or fill valve: leaks all the time, because it is under pressure.
- Toilet wax ring: water around the base, usually after flushing.
- Shower pan or liner: water under the tile, often showing up on the ceiling below after showers.
- Grout, caulk, and door seals: splash water getting behind tile or past the tub edge.
- Drain and overflow connections: leaks when the tub drains or is filled high.
How do you find which fixture is leaking?
- Leaks all the time: a supply line. Close the valve and call a plumber.
- Leaks only when you flush: the wax ring or the tank-to-bowl connection.
- Leaks only during or after a shower: the pan, the drain, or splash water past the curtain or door. Try running water only on the floor of the shower, then only on the walls, to see which one leaks.
Water still coming in or standing? A local restoration company can start water removal now.
Call (866) 217-4054What are the signs of damage below a bathroom?
- A stain or bubble on the ceiling under the bathroom
- A soft or spongy floor near the toilet or tub
- Loose or cracked floor tiles, or grout that keeps crumbling
- Swollen vanity or baseboard trim
A floor that flexes near the toilet can mean a rotted subfloor, which needs repair before new flooring goes in. If water is already coming through the ceiling below, see water leaking through the ceiling.
Is water from a bathroom leak clean?
It depends on where it came from. A broken toilet tank or supply line is clean water. A toilet bowl overflow with urine but no feces is gray water. A backflow from beyond the toilet trap counts as black water no matter how it looks (University of Colorado Anschutz guidelines, adapted from the IICRC). See clean, gray, and black water.
Does insurance cover a shower or toilet leak?
A sudden failure, like a supply line that bursts, is usually covered. A slow leak, like a shower pan that leaked for a year, is usually excluded as continuous or repeated seepage (insurance industry summary). Policies usually pay for the resulting damage, not the failed part (NerdWallet).
Common questions
The upstairs toilet overflowed and it is coming through the ceiling. What now?
Close the valve behind the toilet, keep everyone out from under any sagging ceiling, and turn off power to that room's lights if water is near the fixtures. Then call for water removal. Toilet water may be gray or black water, so the cleanup needs sanitizing.
Can I keep using the shower?
Not until the leak is found. Every shower adds water to the subfloor and the ceiling below. Use another bathroom if you have one.